Daydreaming

[FONT=Verdana]Happy Groundhog Day! Today, in my White Sox Lunchbox, I have a hearty helping of “daydreaming” to share with you. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Turning over the calendar to a new month yesterday made me realize that we are inching, ever so slowly, toward that magical day when Sox baseball returns: Opening Day! Of course, my elation is tempered by the reality that many cold, gray, and often rainy or snowy February and March days are still ahead. January, February, and March are traditionally difficult months for me, as the excitement of the holidays is long past and distractions are few. Some days, it feels like time is standing still.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The dawn of another workday is here. I awaken to the hateful sound of my 5 o’clock alarm and slowly roll out of bed. My morning ritual includes home brewing my first cup of coffee, enjoying a light breakfast, pulling the covers off my teenage son to drag him out of bed, logging onto WSI to catch up on the latest news, and dashing about the house like a madwoman trying to get it all together. Dadgumit! It’s way too early to be awake! A quick review of my electronic leash/calendar (aka Smartphone) reminds me that a busy day of work lies ahead, filled with tasks, deadlines, a conference call, and worst of all: a dull, dreadful staff meeting. I gather my things and quickly rush out the door. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]As usual, my bus is running late. The weather in Chicago has been mild this week, with temps reaching the mid 50's. At 6 o’clock in the morning, however, it is still dark and cold. I stand near the bus stop, shivering. I tell myself that I must engage in the power of positive thinking. It’s February and spring is coming. Soon, Sox pitchers and catchers will report to training camp. Here on WSI, constant chatter continues regarding the upcoming 2012 season, featuring a new White Sox manager (our beloved Robin Ventura has come home!) and many new players on the roster. Numerous questions still remain and every day new threads are started in an effort to address important matters including: [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]- Can Robin get the Sox off to a good start?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- How crucial is a “sense of urgency” to the success of this Sox team? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- What about Robin's lack of coaching experience?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Do the Sox need to sign another outfielder?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- What about “fundamentals”?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- What will the Sox starting rotation look like? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Do the Sox need to acquire another arm for the bullpen?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Who will be the Sox closer? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Can Jake Peavy still pitch?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Will Adam Dunn hit? [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Will Gordon Beckham hit?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]- Will Alex Rios hit?[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]We (my White Sox brothers and sisters and I) ponder, discuss, hash, and re-hash these and other critical questions. And as siblings so often do, we bicker over the pettiest things. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana]Now that the days are getting longer, I do feel a strange sense of anticipation and excitement racing through my veins. Sometimes, it feels as though my heart skips a beat. I am like a love-struck teenager who cannot wait for her beloved White Sox to return to her. And I agree with my friend and fellow WSIer, ChiSoxGal85, who recently posted: [I]“…I am getting antsy for White Sox baseball!”[/I][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The bus finally arrives and I jump on looking for a quiet seat for my commute to downtown Chicago. I sit down, pop in my headphones, listen to Chopin Nocturnes, close my eyes and breathe. The soft, quiet music instantly relaxes my neck and shoulders and I enter into a state of relaxation. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Soon, I am daydreaming about long, warm, summer nights when our windows are open. Often times, on those nights, a soft wind is blowing rustling the curtains ever so gently. And outside, you can smell the grass and the heaviness in the air and feel the warmth on your skin, even late in the day and you know that it is perfect baseball weather. I love knowing that when I get home after a long day at work on most evenings White Sox baseball, like a loyal friend, will be there to keep me company. I usually listen to Sox games on the radio, while I tackle yet another task on my never-ending-to-do list. Periodically, I tune in to watch Sox baseball on television and love hearing one of my favorite Hawkisms: [I]“Alright Stone Pony. Thank you and once again good evening everyone and welcome to White Sox baseball over …” [/I]There is balance, symmetry, and cadence when baseball season is here. Life flows, from one day to the next, from one series to the next, from one week to the next. There are games to watch or listen to, players to root for, statistics to keep track of, and story lines to follow. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]The poet, Walt Whitman, once wrote: [I]"I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us." ~Walt Whitman[/I][/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]I could not agree more. For me, a busy working mom, Sox baseball provides relief, respite, and escape from all things extraordinary or mundane.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]I miss White Sox baseball so much right now. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]I snap out of my stupor in time to avoid missing my stop. I need to stop daydreaming and face the day! I jump off the bus, look up and see a billboard which reads White Sox Baseball: Appreciate the Game. Meh. I'm underwhelmed by this year's slogan but I can live with it. What matters now is that the start of Sox baseball is just around the corner. I can feel it. And I’m reminded of this wonderful quote from former Sox owner, Bill Veeck:[/FONT]

[I][FONT=Verdana]"That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball." ~Bill Veeck, 1976[/FONT][/I]

[FONT=Verdana]I absolutely cannot wait to hear the sound of a bat on a ball. How many more days until Sox pitchers and catchers report?[/FONT]

Seriously, thank you very much for your kind words. They mean so much to me, especially coming from a great Sox fan like you. You already know that I hold you in high regard and admire your devotion to our Sox. And now I'm looking forward to seeing you and the rest of our White Sox brothers and sisters at Sox games this summer in the playground known as U.S. Cellular Field. Go Sox!